Bounty Hunters are the Bee's Knees
by Rosette-Cullen
Summary: Happy Birthday BittenBee! Bounty Hunter Edward is assigned to go after a target, only he has to choose between the hostage and fifty thousand dollars.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Happy Birthday, BittenBee!**

**You are a wonderful, magnificent friend and I'm so happy to know someone as beautiful and special as you.**

**I had a rough idea of a bounty hunter from Dog the Bounty Hunter so I stayed away from that guy. I hope you like it :)**

**Um, I realized there probably aren't deserts in Washington after I wrote this all out and then put in Arizona. So if I missed a reference to that, forgive me.  
**

* * *

Carlisle handed me my newest assignment. The manila envelope was thicker than usual, edges of notebook paper popped out from the well worn package. Several items shifted inside and the palms of my hands dampened in excitement as I pinched the metal clasps together, flipping the flap open to peek inside. I was like a kid on Christmas morning.

"Gentle," Carlisle hissed. "Have you overlooked the caution warning completely?"

I grunted and stuck my hand in, ignoring the paper that sliced my knuckles. The pain was pleasurable in a way, the breaking skin, the slight trickle of fluid that didn't give way to blood just yet. I pulled out a stack of photos and a pack of cigarettes. The pictures were blurry, the silhouette of a man caught by a gas station's faulty camera. The cigarettes were new, still wrapped and an expensive brand.

"So he hangs out at gas stations and smokes Parliaments? That could be any number of people within the south," I said, cocking my head to the side. I didn't usually get such vague information about a target.

Carlisle leaned back at his desk, his brow furrowed as he glared at the envelope in my hand. "Yes, well I haven't been able to get any information about him. He dyes his hair, tans his skin and wears different outfits everywhere he goes. Police have put cold cases on all of his victims."

My stomach jumped into my throat. "I don't have to bring him back alive?" I nearly shouted.

"I'd _prefer_ if you brought him back alive, but if there's a possibility that he could slip through your fingers while trying to get him, well, it'd better if he was dead."

I flipped through the pictures, watching him peruse the cosmetics section before taking off quickly. It was like he could sense the police were on their way and bolted before getting caught. A separate section of photographs were paper clipped, the stack had a series of cars, all stolen and all different colors. The licenses were from different states, none of them matching in any way. He definitely knew how to successfully avoid police.

"How much is he worth?" I asked distractedly.

"Alive, roughly fifty grand from the bounty," I looked up, eyes wide. Carlisle sat back, elbows on the arm rests. "Of course I get my twenty percent. Dead he's worth around twenty, maybe twenty five. He's got a lot of enemies; I'm sure I could make some business and up the ante."

"Do it," I said quickly. "Any certain time frame I need to have him in custody by?"

"A month." Carlisle frowned, his mouth slanting downward and his brow furrowing. "He's got someone with him."

I tucked the envelope under my arm and cracked the knuckles of my left hand. "This is a hostage situation? Aren't the police usually in charge of these kinds of things?"

Carlisle ran a hand over his face. "This guy—James—he knows what he's doing, Edward." He looked at me seriously for a moment. "The reason you're on this is because the hostage he has with him is a police chief's daughter."

I dropped the file onto his desk, taking a step back. "Nuh-uh. Not happening. If there's a chance of police getting on my ass there's no way in hell I'm taking this."

"You've outrun them before." He slid the file back. "I can arrange some kind of temporary agreement with the local forces. The bounty on this one is just too high to not take on, and you're the best of the best at this, Edward."

I sniffed. "Flattering," I scoffed. "You do what you can to grant me protection and I'll take this on. But you only get fifteen percent of the bounty." His mouth popped open and hung slack. "I'm not budging on it. You can take my conditions or give this to someone else."

He spluttered for a few minutes and then threw the file at me. I grinned in triumph.

"You better get him alive," he snapped.

--

I was driving in a beat up car that didn't dare go over eighty and ate up gas like nobody's business. I managed to take off of a mechanic's hands before I left Carlisle's place. I only had a month before police were to 'shoot to kill' and the bounty would be called off completely. This wasn't some drug addict who didn't go in for court or report to their parole officer. I was after a cold blooded murderer.

The last place James Hunter had been spotted in was a gas station right on the edge of Texas and Mexico. I had that feeling, the one deep in my gut that told me he was still here, waiting for his chance to avoid police. It was something of an honor system among criminals like him, you don't border hop until it gets too close. Having a bounty on his head was something of a medal to show off; the fact that he had one was enough to put police in a state of unease. That was why I didn't work for them.

Freelancing my services was better for me. I'd been a cop once, long ago. I was crooked, put evidence where there was none in order to convict criminals I knew were guilty. I couldn't go after cases that weren't mine, couldn't pursue people without certain warrants and certainly couldn't use physical pain as a way of interrogation.

I got to Carlisle on a downward draft. He heard I was frustrated and didn't play by the rules and offered everything that I wanted. And more. The money and bribes were amazing. The amount someone would pay in order to get a crook was really something else. I would pick up homeless men, deliver them to someone and get a hefty sum in response. It wasn't my problem once the perp was out of my hands. I was too busy counting the cash.

The engine sputtered and I kicked under the steering wheel to get it to stop. The windows in the back wouldn't go down and I was sweating it out in the heat. The sooner I got to this gas station the sooner I could have something to drink and top off the gas.

Half an hour down the long road I'd been traveling on I finally found a large cardboard sign painted with neon orange letters reading, "Gas station two miles ahead."

One point eight miles down the desert-like road and I found myself pulling up to a dilapidated gas station. The roof above the gas tanks was slanted downward, wrapped in caution and duct tape as if covering it up would make the roof come back together.

I set my car next to the pump, watching as a little tan kid ran around, his shirt hanging from his pants and beads of sweat falling from his hair. I popped the door for him and he set to filling me up. I smiled at the kid and leaned against my car.

"Hey, mister," he said.

"Hmm," I hummed.

His chicken arms clenched as he held onto the pump. "What're you doing way out here? You're far off from anywhere out here."

I tugged my shirt away my skin, trying desperately to air out the sweat that had built up from hours in the car. The glaring sun didn't help. "I'm looking for someone. You might be able to help out."

"Oh yeah?" he asked eagerly.

"Do you remember the police coming by here a while ago?"

He cocked his head to the side, brows furrowing as he concentrated. "Yeah. There were a lot of them, all looking for this one guy." I pulled out the clearest picture I had of James Hunter at the gas station and then his mug shot from a few years back. The kid's eyes widened. "That's him!"

"Did you happen to fill up his tank when he stopped by?" I asked.

"Yeah, but he went straight inside. He was in with my dad if that helps. I just spoke to lady with him." He pulled the pump out and cleaned off the gasoline streaks.

I took out a notebook from the front seat and poised my pen on the page. "What did the woman with him look like? Did she tell you her name or where she was going?"

The kid nodded three times. "Said her name was Bella. She didn't tell me her last name or where she was going, but she gave me a note. She had long brown hair; I think it had been dyed at one point because she had blonde streaks in it." His brow furrowed once more. "She was really pale, too. That's weird for people around here. Her shoulders got all red and the guy wouldn't let her get sunscreen."

I wrote everything down quickly, messy scrawls and abbreviations marring the top of the page. "Do you still have the note she gave you?"

He nodded and cocked his head for me to follow him. A man at the counter of the store perked his head, eager for business. The kid held up a hand for me to wait and ran up maintenance stairs. While I waited for him I walked over the man at the counter, grabbing a few items as I went along.

"Is my son helping you with everything you need?" he asked. His blue shirt clung to his body like mine and he pulled it away, angling his back to the fan.

I pulled my wallet out as he started to ring up my purchases. "He's been more than helpful. But I'd like to know if you remember the police who came here before. They were looking for a man, probably interrogated you thoroughly about the whole thing."

He nodded placing his arms against the counter. "I'll tell you what I told them. He came in, looked around for a few minutes and left abruptly, didn't even look in my direction."

"What about the woman he had with him?"

"She was in the car the entire time—backseat if you really want to know." He glanced at his son as he bounded through the door and ran to the counter. "My son didn't talk to the cops. He was too shook up by the whole thing."

_No wonder the police couldn't find any leads on Hunter,_ I thought.

The kid thrust the note into my hand, his father watching curiously. "She gave this to me. It's just a bunch of numbers and symbols."

I flipped open the note, scanning my eyes over the frantic writing that done in some kind of grease or makeup. The numbers were smudged but I recognized them as hotel and apartment directions. He was still in the states, in the one over.

I folded the note, tucked it into my front pocket. "You didn't show this to the police?" I asked.

He shook his head, eyes focused on my pocket. "No, but I still want it back."

I grabbed my plastic bag of supplies and smiled at the kid, shaking my head as I left. He yelled after me, and then his father. I got into my car quickly and took off, dropping a twenty out of my window for gas.

--

Carlisle answered fast enough when I dialed his number. "What news do you have?" he demanded.

I pulled out one of the parliaments, letting it dangle between my fingers as I stared at it. "I stopped by the gas station James Hunter was last seen at. The kid there had some pretty good leads for me."

Cradling the phone between my shoulder and cheek and I lit the cigarette, steering the car with my knees. The sun was an hour away from setting but it was still hot as hell. Why did he have to travel through a desert? Why couldn't a car with air conditioning be on sale?

"The kid?" Carlisle asked. "The police reports I got only stated the owner as a witness. There was never any record of a kid there…." I could hear the sounds of paper shuffling as he dug through the files I knew were lying on his desk.

"The kid didn't speak at the time. I don't think his father knew that he'd been anywhere near Hunter or the female hostage. She slipped him a note, though." Carlisle gasped in shock. "Her name's Bella, it's gotta be short for something, can you figure it out?"

"Yes, of course!" he exclaimed. "Did he tell you anything else? What did the note say? There was never any record of her being in contact with anyone besides Hunter."

"The note has numbers for hotels within Arizona. He's been leading trails out toward Mexico to push all the forces south, but he's still here. It's hard to travel with an extra body and he needs to take precautions."

I took in a deep drag of the cigarette; let the creamy smoke slide down my throat until I coughed it out. I spit out through the window and dropped it on the road. Nasty expensive cigarettes.

"What hotels?" Carlisle asked, bringing me back to our conversation. "Give me the names and I'll run it through to see if he's staying under a fake name."

"I'm stopping by North Mountain Motel. She wrote in symbols but I think that's where she's hinted at. If not there, it could be Blue Mountain Apartments. Just check the whole area and ask the managers." He made an affirmative noise. "Hey, Carlisle?"

"Yeah?" he mumbled distractedly.

"There wouldn't happen to be a bounty on the girl's head, would there?"

He chuckled. "No. She's a hostage, remember? But she can't stay with him…."

I brought the speed up from seventy to eighty and stuck my hand out window. "I understand."

--

North Mountain Motel was God awful. It was the pits. It was like hell with a trash problem.

I took pictures of every car in the lot and all the room numbers. Once I had photographic evidence I attached a small camera on the roof of my car right beside the antenna. Two more were placed on a telephone pole facing in opposite directions. I checked out the surrounding area, crawling on my hands and knees as I looked under cars and searched for any kind of surveillance he might have set up.

Once I finished with the parking lot I went inside the motel and dropped a recorder in the plant by the front door. If he did end up being here I would be able to at least determine a location and travel destination.

The bald sweating man at the front desk demanded only that I pay in cash before handing me my key, explaining that if I wanted breakfast I'd have to be up before eight and that there was a pool out back.

I kept my eyes open as I made my way down the sidewalk to the room walkway. There was no sign of anyone else outside beside a few muted lights from four other rooms. I focused on the windows as I walked by, peeping inside for any sign of movement.

And elderly couple was in one. They were arguing and the male had a flannel shirt on with a fishing hat. He held a suitcase and was threatening to leave her there if she didn't stop of accusing him of cheating. I crept away before I got dragged in and headed for my room, checking once more to see that my cameras were still in place.

The room was small and dank. It smelled like piss and the light bulbs were dim. I used the bathroom and as I washed my hands and face my phone began to ring in the other room.

"Carlisle," I answered.

"He's in the area," he said quickly. "I'm not sure if he's staying there, the motel doesn't have any electronic files. You need to check out the rooms—but not draw attention to yourself. He's a professional runner, Edward. He knows what he's doing."

I arched backward, trying to get the knot out from sitting all day. "Yeah, yeah. I know what I'm doing."

He took a breath for the rebuttal but I cut him off before he could try to plant doubt in my head. I pulled my shirt away from my skin and tried to find a fan or air conditioning unit in the room. In the closet a two bladed fan was propped against the wall. I sighed and picked it up, plugging it in to try and circulate the muggy atmosphere. I left while it did its job to survey the area again.

The couple was still arguing, the yelling had decreased but the door was open, making the quiet arguments louder. The trunk of the car was open, packed bags stacked and ready to leave. I shook my head and skirted around the mess.

The drapes to every room were drawn while the tenants slept. A few windows were open to allow whatever breeze came along to bring them relief. Looking around I stuck my head inside, finding two small children on either side of their mother.

The motel was a ghost town with nothing more than the quiet sounds of desert bugs chirping.

I sighed as I rounded a corner. A machine let off a mechanic buzz and I hope for an ice machine as I got closer. The pool gate was keeping me from relief and I hopped it easily. Sure enough a beat up ice maker was gulping as ice cubes fell inside of it. I nearly sprinted to it as it came into sight. I foolishly forgot to check my surroundings.

"Hey!"

I turned quickly, eyes wide at the loud voice. I first saw the brunette sitting on a side of the pool. She'd rolled up her pants to let her legs dangle in the water, kicking away roaches as they floated over. She had a dirty tank top on with dirt smears and blood around the collar. Her eyes were wide—scared.

"Hey, buddy. What're you doing here?"

I pulled my eyes away from her and found myself looking at a dirty blonde with nearly orange skin. Carlisle was right about the fake tanning. He was sitting on one of the chairs, obviously watching his victim as she relaxed from the heat. I seemed to have ruined the calm setting.

I swallowed to remove the lump of pleasure that had formed in my throat. "I was just looking for the ice machine, man," I said as I hitched my thumb in the direction of the humming lump of metal.

He nodded tightly and glanced quickly at the girl. She pulled her feet up, the concrete darkening as she stood and grabbed her shoes. James Hunter stood from his chair and strode quickly past me. My whole body locked to attack as he walked by. I was less than five feet from fifty thousand dollars. I reached into the waist of my jeans and grasped the handle of my gun.

James grabbed the girl's arm. She squeaked and pulled away but he had her pinned against his side. His arm moved and I knew what was going on. I'd seen dozens of hostage situations before. Each was the same. The perp would pull out a gun when he felt threatened.

I released my gun and waited until they rounded the corner before running after them. I slid against the wall of the building, following with my eyes as he pulled her into a room without turning on the lights.

I watched room eleven for two hours before cautiously heading back to my room.

--

I spent the night at my window with the lights off, watching room eleven. I needed to get Bella alone and she would help me get past James's defenses. If she could slip a note without him noticing then she could help me catch him off guard.

I was falling asleep by the time six in the morning rolled around. Movement by the window caught my attention. Bella threw up the screen and leaned out, taking a deep breath of the cool morning air. I dug out my camera and snapped a couple quick pictures, sending them to Carlisle as quickly as I could.

She went back inside the room and opened the door. I heard James bark something at her and she stopped, turning her head a fraction to look at him. He was right behind her, hand firmly holding the base of her neck.

I threw the things on my lap onto the bed and left my room, trailing a safe distance behind the pair. God, I was so close. I could just come up, put him in a headlock and knock him unconscious. I drew in a shaky breath while trying to conceal my excited smile.

The main building had wide open doors for breakfast. My mouth watered and my stomach grumbled as I neared. James released her neck as they entered and took a seat at one of the tables, watching her as she gathered food. The bastard sure knew how to keep his victim within sight.

A waitress came up, placing coffee cups on the table. She unabashedly flirted with him and to my surprise he hit on her. I glanced over at Bella who was piling hash browns on her plate. She licked her lips and I walked in, slow and calm.

I kept my focus on James out of the corner of my eye but otherwise tried not to acknowledge him. The hand in my removed pocket held a gun strapped to my thigh.

Bella glanced up quickly, eyes darting to James. I grabbed a plate and deposited food onto it, not really looking at what I picked. She audibly swallowed beside me and I read the table of contents on a box of cereal.

"Bella, I need you to be calm," I murmured without moving my lips.

"Oh God, oh God, oh God," she chanted under her breath.

"_Bella_," I said firmly. "You need to look like this is nothing. Slide down, grab some eggs and don't focus on me. Just listen."

She slid down, grabbed a tong full of scrambled eggs and began to neatly arrange them around her other food. I put down the box of cereal and moved in the opposite direction.

"Right now I need to get you away from him, but I assume he's always got a trained gun on you, right?"

"Knife," she whispered quietly. "Four inch steak knife on his right leg, pistol on the left. He has license plates on his chest for protection."

She move down again and I grabbed onto the gun in my pocket again. I didn't doubt that he had that pistol aimed and ready to shoot if necessary. I should have worn a vest. Though it wouldn't have done me any good but a guaranteed shot. It was too hot to wear bullet proof clothing.

"You need to get away from him. We need to get you away from him and then you need to help me get him," I said, sliding closer to her as I spoke. I could see James ready to jump out of his seat, the waitress was trying to regain his attention but he was done with her.

"He's coming, before you leave see if there isn't a way to be without him, even for a moment. I'll be watching." As I finished speaking James rose from his seat and came up beside Bella. His hand was back on her neck, grabbing as he pulled her closer to him.

"I think that's enough food. You don't wanna throw it all up on the car ride." She didn't have time to protest before he yanked her back and walked out of the dining hall in the direction of the motel rooms.

I left as well, ignoring the waitress who was yelling after the two who hadn't paid for the food and then myself. I hid behind a wall as James looked over his shoulder, no doubt watching for me as I was watching him.

I stuffed bacon in my mouth as he threw Bella into the room and locked the door. He began to hit the windowsill until the metal was so warped it couldn't be opened. Smart bastard.

He ran to the car, constantly checking to see if anyone dared to get near the door and soon was out of the lot. Of course he wouldn't park here. Smart money would be further out where cops couldn't find the car and he wouldn't have his belongings looked through.

I ran to the room, turning the knob and banging on the door. "Bella! Can you hear me?"

"Yes! Get me out of here!" she screamed. "He burned the metal on this side and I can't open it!"

I put my palms against the door and looked back toward the road. I had probably less than thirty seconds to get the door down. Window would be too risky. If she crawled through and got caught I had no disinfectant and if she got sick there'd be no helping me.

"Move away from the door, Bella," I yelled and shouldered the flimsy wood. It would break it in the middle, but around the lock….

I jammed my shoulder into the wedge between the frame and the door. It cracked but didn't break. I kept at it until I heard her shout the same thing at me. I moved away from the frame and blanched as a chair leg came through, followed by another until a good sized hole had formed. Her panicked scratches at the door were quieted by the sounds of a car squealing around the corner.

I reared back and saw Bella's frantic beating at the door. She began to shoulder it as I had and her arm came through. Her screams were loud and drawing attention. James threw the car in my direction unstopped by the civilians that were now lining the walkways to watch as he manically tried to run me down.

"Oh, fuck, Bella stay in there!" I yelled at her.

She screamed again. "What the hell do you mean? Get me out of here!"

I lunged behind a car and he swerved around in a fishtail to change direction without damaging his car. I took off in a sprint, pulling out my gun and cocking it. I stopped by an open door to a room where the elderly couple stood in astonishment. Taking aim at the tires, I shot once, twice and the third time I managed to hit the front driver's side. James swore loudly and stuck his arm out, gun in hand.

With the shots fired everyone ran back into their room and I was inside with the elderly couple watching as James threw himself from the car and sprinted to the door. He shot the lock to the door and it flew open. I sat on the floor, only the sounds of my breathing to disturb the suddenly violent silence.

He was right outside the entryway. I could feel his cautious glare as he waited to make his move, probably hoping I'd jump out and attack first. I crouched closer to the floor and set my gun at knee length.

I could see his shadow. He was there, his breathing shook his whole frame and his gun cast an ominous shadow across the gravel. I couldn't kill him but I sure as hell could injure him.

The elderly woman sobbed and James ran in, his gun pointed directly at me. He shot and hit my shoulder, narrowly missing my neck. I hit his shin, off kilter by his blow. He screamed as the bullet penetrated bone and made a sickening sound. He didn't stay to shoot me once more, instead he _ran_ back to the car on his broken and bleeding leg. As he made it to the car Bella broke the door and fell onto the dirt.

He looked at her, then at his leg and lifted his arm with the gun. Bella looked up, eyes wide as she saw the barrel of his pistol.

I held up my gun. "Don't you fucking move!"

He looked up at me and smiled through his breathlessness. "Afraid I'll kill her?" he asked in a cocky tone.

I cocked my gun. "Go ahead," I shouted. "I need you alive, not her."

Bella stood up on shaky legs, not flinching as James's gun steadied on her. She brushed off her pants, cheeks blotchy and eyes watering.

"Screw _this_," she said. "Go ahead and shoot me, James!" She threw her arms out, making a generous target. "Kill me already. You're been threatening to do it for months so go ahead and shoot me. Right when I think I'm getting _help_," she sneered, looking at me, "it turns out I'm not even worth saving."

James lowered his gun and quickly held it to his own head. "Shoot at anything and I'll kill myself. Ain't no way I'm going back to police, man. I'll stay on the lamb for the rest of my life before I get fucked over again."

I slowly brought down my gun and with every second it went down he brought his away.

He slid into the car, front tire still missing and leg still gushing blood. As he started up the car James held his gun out again, not stalling as he shot at Bella. It hit her in the side and she fell back to the ground in shock.

I brought my gun back up, shot four times in quick succession, and nailed him in the skull. The windshield shattered into a million little pieces and blood splattered against the roof of the car. The ground was painted in tiny crystal crimson pieces in the most horrific jigsaw puzzle.

I hauled myself up and walked over to Bella, no one stopping me as I went. She was crying on the ground, not so much in pain as it was relief. She looked miserably relieved.

"Thank you," she sobbed.

"Yeah, yeah," I grunted as picked her up. She whimpered as her side bent in my arms but relaxed soon enough.

I put her in the car, cell phone poised at my ear as Carlisle's phone rang. She clung to my side in the car, eyes trained on James's limp, dead body as if it would come back to life. There was no such thing as the headless horseman, though.

"You'll be okay," I said to her. "You'll go home soon enough and—"

"No," she said quietly.

"Excuse me?"

"No. I'm not going home. He got me there, when I was sleeping in bed. I'm not going back. I'm staying with you and you're protecting me."

"I'm not a babysitter and you're not a baby. You're going back home, Bella. Your dad is looking for you and—"

She sat up, looking around frantically as I pulled out from the motel. I wasn't sure if the bounty counted if I left the scene without any evidence. I damn sure wasn't waiting around for police.

"No," she repeated, fingers wrapping around my arm. "I'm staying with you. I don't care."

Carlisle picked up his phone, immediately filling me in with useless details. "Hey, shut up for a minute," I sighed. "I need you to arrange a ride home and medical attention for two."

"You and James?" he asked in a hopeful tone.

"No. Me and Bella. Set up a place for her, alright?" I listened for half a minute while he screamed in my ear before I hung up and threw the phone in Bella's lap, instructing her to ignore it.

She started to cry as we hit the open road. "Thank you."

"Please, don't mention it."

* * *

**A/N: Happy birthday my dear. I hope you have a good one, even if you're sick.**

**Boutyward isn't much of a romantic, but I would like to continue it if I get the chance :)  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I don't normally continue one-shots, but I had so much fun writing this that I just kept going and before I knew it I was writing out chapter after chapter.**

**My other WIPs will be updated eventually, I'm just too jittery to really focus on outlines.**

**This is still for BittenBee. It's the birthday that never ends. :)  
**

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Carlisle pulled out drawers, snapping them forward until the wood stopped him from pulling it to the floor. He grabbed a pen and stabbed it into a piece of paper, scribbling meaningless words onto the blank sheet. After thirty seconds of his aimless writing the tip indented and ink splattered everywhere.

I held onto my shoulder, unfurling the top layer of the wrap. The bullet had been pried out but I was left with a fleshy, oozing, swollen sore that stung like a bitch. I played the edges of the wound and flicked off dried skin.

"Stop it," Carlisle snapped. "You're an idiot."

I threw the area pad over the bullet wound and glared at Carlisle. "You're the one who said to kill him before he got away."

"You shot to kill because he was going to kill the hostage!" Carlisle's arms were in the air, waving around like a mad man. I itched the top of my wrap and flinched when I got to close to the hole. "I told you she didn't have a bounty, she could have died. James wouldn't have gotten far with a shotty leg and even worse off car."

I sat on the arm of a leather chair and stretched my legs out. "My moral character decided to pipe up. Bella didn't do anything wrong. She'd been in his possession for months. And don't you think that if I went after him he would have blown his brains out? He was adamant about not going back to jail."

"You could have tried," he hissed. "You didn't even get evidence from the crime scene. And now police have your image all over the news. This was sloppy and poorly executed. I'm severely disappointed in you, Edward."

I scratched the back of my head. "Fifteen isn't too bad," I reasoned. "Sure, we didn't get the bounty, but at least we didn't walk with nothing. And we've got the daughter of a small town cop for bribery. I think we could get five grand out of her."

Carlisle did not appreciate my joke.

"I want her ass out of here," he ordered. "I'm surprised you got ten minutes away from her. You'd think after being attached to a psychopath for that long she'd want some freedom." He pinched the bridge of his nose and propped his feet on the large oak desk. "What did you get from her about her captivity?"

"There were regular beatings." I closed my eyes briefly. The medical examiner had shown me pictures of her back. It was covered in welts from the handle of a gun and she had knife marks along the center of her back. I hadn't been surprised by that. If she decided to run one quick thrust into the spine would stop her. "From what she told me it doesn't sound like she was sexually assaulted. He claimed to have a girlfriend out west who he spoke with on disposable cell phones. There was another guy, but she didn't know much about him."

Carlisle wrote everything down, slowly this time as not to increase the ink now dripping to the hardwood. "Great. Did she happen to mention if they'd seek revenge? I'm sure he was running for a reason."

I shook my head, playing with a switchblade that sat idly on my right knee. "She doesn't tell me much of anything, only what I specifically ask her in as little detail as possible. I think that's what James trained her to do."

"Wouldn't doubt it," Carlisle muttered. "You can't keep her. She's gotta go back home, and soon."

I snorted and fell into the large Italian leather chair. My ass sunk into the cushion and I sighed. "Hey, they sooner you book a flight for her the sooner I can start up again." Carlisle eyed my shoulder warily. "Don't even start with me. It's a flesh wound. It'll be healed and better in two weeks tops."

"Where is she now?" he asked.

I hitched my thumb. "Hallway."

Carlisle rolled his eyes and drew a hand down his face. I took my leave as a frustrated sigh left his throat. The floor creaked beneath my socked feet and as soon as I stepped out Bella glued herself to my side.

--

"I don't care what _Carlisle_ says, I'm not leaving," Bella huffed. Her arms crossed under her chest, she stood with her legs shoulder width apart.

I tried to dry off the water from my shower but was distracted by her constant yelling in my bathroom doorway. The girl had no finesse as she used her identification card to undo my lock and barge into the bathroom, throwing back the shower curtain and screaming her head off.

"Too bad so sad," I said.

She grabbed ice cubes from the bucket by the alcohol and started pelting them at me. I hissed as they hit my warm flesh, some even sticking to the still-wet parts of my chest. I picked up the baby powder under the sink and unscrewed the top, throwing it at her until she looked like a snowman.

I learned very quickly that there was no arguing with Bella. She was used to physical ways of expressing herself and she often blew up out of nowhere or had temper tantrums that rivaled my niece. I had started to remove the plastic bags from garbage cans so she wouldn't feel tempted to smother me in my sleep.

"I'm not leaving!" she yelled, brushing the powder from her clothes and coughing it up. She grabbed the bucket of ice and threw it at me. Beside the stinging pain of hard objects hitting me, the cold had my teeth chattering.

I stepped forward. "The hell you aren't." Another step. "I'll give you a three second head start."

She turned on her heel and began to run, throwing down a potted plant on her way out. I jumped it, holding onto my towel while I chased her. She ran down the hotel's hall, skidding on a turn for the stairs. My boys were flapping in the wind but that was the least of my worries.

Bella managed to make it two flights of stairs below me by the time I reached the platform. I jumped the railing, hissing my shoulder jolted from impact. Decidedly running the rest of the way, I could see her hair whipping around the doorframe and onto another level.

A Goddamn busboy got in my way as I rounded, his cart banging into my knee and sending shocks of pain through my already sore legs. The kid squeaked an apology and I pushed his cart into a wall as Bella rounded another corner. This hotel was like a fucking corn maze.

I flew after her, pumping my legs and clinging onto my towel. I ignored the stares of hotel patrons and focused solely on getting my hands around Bella's little neck. I caught up to her around floor six when we were only a few rooms apart.

"I'm not going back!" she shouted breathlessly.

I pumped my legs harder. "Yes you are! Your dad… is looking for you and the entire state of Washington—" I nearly stumbled on a stack of dirty dishes she flipped onto the ground. "Just go back already!"

"No!" she belted petulantly. "I'm staying with you!"

I was so close, _so close_. My outstretched fingers brushed a few strands of her hair, pulling them out. Bella protested and drove herself harder to escape from my closing form. The Goddamn towel was wrapped around my thighs and starting to chafe.

"If you stop now I won't kick your ass," I reasoned one last time.

Her heavy exhale could have been a scoff. "Like you could."

I was beyond replying as I threw off my towel and worked my newly freed legs. I streaked down the hall and tackled her to the ground. Her shrieking was God awful and ear bleeding. Bells rang in my skull and she tried to kick me in the nuts once she realized I'd dropped my modesty somewhere down the hall.

I rolled onto my back, arm still wrapped firmly around Bella's waist. My muscles started to give out and the tenseness from my run left my muscles weak.

Bella shut her mouth long enough to realize there was something wrong. "Hey, are you okay, Edward?"

"No," I moaned. "You opened it up."

Her eyes darted to my dick and I lazily snapped my fingers and pointed to my shoulder. She put a hand over her mouth and rocked back. She went pale as a ghost and her pupils dilated. If she threw up on me I was gonna lose it.

"Oh God," she groaned. "I hate blood."

I latched onto her thigh, trying to pull her back. "Don't you fucking dare leave me here—"

Her eyes fluttered and she fell backwards. Her head hit the floor with an audible thump and I was stuck naked in a hotel hallway with a gushing shoulder and passed out crazy bitch. I tried to fish out a phone from Bella's front pocket, narrowly grasping it.

"What, Edward?" Carlisle snapped.

"Come to the sixth floor. I need your help. Bring me clothes."

--

After Carlisle swore at me for two hours and dressed my arm I was left in my hotel room to stare blankly at the screen selection. Two weeks tops had turned into a month thanks to Bella. The tissue that hadn't been quite torn by James's bullet broke and my few stitches had been multiplied.

There was a soft knock at my door. She didn't wait for me to get up and unlock it, instead slid her ID through the small space and somehow got it open. I didn't acknowledge her as she came in and stood at my bedside. Not only did she force me to humiliate myself in front of Carlisle but she had solidified the reason _why_ she needed to go back home.

"Edward, I'm really, _really_ sorry," Bella apologized. "I honestly didn't think you'd chase after me—especially not in a towel. And then your… thing kind of fell into my hand—but that's beside the point. If you really want me to leave… I guess I should go back home."

"Oh yeah?" I snapped. "You couldn't figure that out before I chased you all over and reopened a _gunshot_ wound?"

She wrung her hands together nervously. "I, uh—" She sighed and slumped onto the bed. "With James I didn't get to do _anything_," she whispered. I leaned forward a bit. She'd been overly reluctant to share any information about her time with him. "He wouldn't let me speak or move without his consent and I have this… rage built up."

"There's a punching back in the basement. Go hit it for a couple hours."

"You don't get it!" she yelled in frustration. "I haven't had basic human interaction in months. I spoke to a couple people here and there but other than that I've had nothing." She put her head in her hands and bent forward, the bandages on her side crinkling as she did so. I was envious of her shallow wound. "What can I do to make it up to you?"

"I'd say catch the next flight back to Washington," I said and she grimaced. "But you can't." Our facial expressions were reversed as hope lit up her eyes. "James had some friends, right? Carlisle thinks they'll most likely come after you."

"So I can stay?" she exclaimed.

I carefully folded my arms. "On one condition."

"Anything!"

"Give me a play-by-play of your time with James."

--

I reclined back in bed while the television forced canned laughter into the room. I'd been watching sitcoms for two days with little reprieve. I smelled God awful and had no company besides the television characters and occasionally Bella.

After I'd asked about James she clammed up and left in a hurry. She'd brought in food or batteries for the remote; once in a while she'd clean my clothes or pick up the shit I left lying around. The maids were too afraid to come in after my stint in the hallway.

Bella came in around noon to drop off my lunch and eat with me. As she prepared herself to leave I grabbed her arm and pulled her back down.

"You're staying," I ordered.

She shimmied out of my grip. "Why?"

"I smell like a pig." Her nose wrinkled as I said it. "I can't get my bandages wet so help me wrap it with a garbage bag."

She pulled out a stack of plastic bags and I managed to haul myself from the bed. There was an Edward shaped indent as I looked back. I pressed the button for room service before stiffly moving to the bathroom. I stripped to my boxers and sat in the tub while warm water washed over my legs.

Bella kneeled beside me with a plastic bag and Scotch tape. She shrugged apologetically and began to wrap the bag around my arm. The whole thing reminded me of when I'd first broken my arm and my mother covered me—fingers to elbow—in a thick black trash bag. I'd made finger holes to grasp the shampoo bottle easier and subsequently ruined my cast.

Once the water was up to my waist I handed Bella a washcloth. She looked at me like I had three heads.

"I have to wash you, too?" she asked, offended.

I rolled my eyes. "Remember that making up thing? Or the carpet the hotel staff had to replace because of my blood? Don't get frisky; just get the grime off of me."

"You're lucky I have experience washing dogs," she said. "Just don't shake everywhere when I'm finished."

I rested my arm along the rim of the tub for easier access to my nasty armpits. She stuck out her tongue and turned her face away.

"Since we're stuck here until I'm squeaky clean why don't you start explaining the details of your time with James?" Though I wanted to appear calm and collected my burning curiosity for answers and prying them out of her were spearing my nerve ending.

Bella didn't look up at me. She focused on squirting a glob of shampoo in her hand and slamming it down on my head. The goo made impact soft and I closed my eyes as she rubbed it in. For several seconds we were consumed in awkward silence and the sound of water flowing from the faucet.

"The first time I saw him," she said quietly. "He was at the police station in Forks."

"Back in Washington?" I asked.

"Uh-huh, he was in over night for public intoxication and destruction of property." A cup of water gushed over my head to remove the soap and she quickly worked in conditioner. "My dad tried to make an example out of him for me, referring to him as the kind of person I should avoid. Maybe that's why he decided to take me."

"The last time he was recorded as being incarcerated was three months before he killed his first victim. Why would he build a string of murders and then come after you?"

Her hands shook as she focused herself on getting out the conditioner. "That bastard didn't kill anyone," she ground out.

"Whoa, what?" I sat upright and pulled her hands away. "What the hell do you mean? Of course he killed! The police had been after him for months and all signs pointed toward him!"

She tumbled away from my grasp. "Yeah, well, he didn't kill anyone. He was a coward and a rat bastard. He had his friends do it and lead trails all over the place. I don't even know how you managed to find me. They made all kinds of trails back to Washington."

"The time frame between the gas station appearance and arriving in Washington so quickly didn't make sense," I explained. "So what you're telling me is that the entire time we were after him for murder and he didn't do anything?"

"Yes."

"Why didn't you tell me this sooner!"

She crossed her arms. "You've been a jerk to me and all you do is yell. Why should I have told you anything?"

Spluttering, I stood from the tub, hissing as my shoulder flexed. Bella babbled some shit about not getting all the soap off. I ignored her weak pleas for me to sit back down and relax. Even while I stripped out of my boxers and pulled on clean clothes she tried to wrestle me back to the bathroom.

I'd gone after that bastard thinking he'd been the one creating a string of murders when in reality it was his friends. He was a decoy, someone to throw under the bus when it came barreling down a hill without breaks. I'd gone after a bounty—risked my life—for something that would have been renounced as soon as interrogation started and his friends were linked to the murders.

Bella was pulling on my arm in an effort to stop me from my rampage around the room. I pushed her into the bathroom and barricaded the door. I couldn't deal with her clingy mannerisms when I was heated and ready to just—just lose it.

Immediately my mind worked into overdrive. I'd stupidly thought that with James's death things would be scaled down, but I hadn't been keeping up with murder patterns. I'd been otherwise occupied since coming back to Carlisle's hotel. To think that two other murderers were out there and I'd done nothing to help anyone made me sick to my stomach.

Banging sounded my departure as Bella whaled and screamed for me to come back and let her out. For her to keep something this important from me left the sting of betrayal ripe on my flesh. I understood why she would refuse to rehash her time with James, I understood why she wouldn't let go of my side, I understood why she lashed out and why I was well equipped to handle her mood swings, but why she wouldn't deliver this vital piece of information baffled and angered me.

I didn't bother to knock on Carlisle's door as I threw it open. He sat in his ostentatious Italian leather chair with his assortment of gold pens and detailed paper. I never asked if he was in some kind of mafia. I honestly didn't want to know.

"James didn't kill anyone!" I exclaimed hysterically.

Carlisle's brow furrowed and he started chuckling. "Oh yeah? Those bodies just killed and cut up themselves?"

I threw my good arm down and slapped my palm against his desk while maintaining eye contact. "James never killed anyone. He was a scapegoat the other two used in order to avoid the cops. He was probably never involved with the big stuff, but those other two—can you check to see if there are any new murder patterns?"

He tented his fingers and pursed his lips. The holier-than-though look appeared on his face. "You're not a cop anymore, Edward. This really doesn't concern you. Maybe in a few weeks they'll figure it out, put a warrant for arrest and then a bounty. You'll be the first to know."

"I don't want to wait for the Goddamn bounty! They'll probably come after Bella. She can't go back to where she was when this whole thing happened it would be redundant and who knows what the other two are capable of."

"Bait," Carlisle said evenly.

"What?"

"Use her as bait, Edward. Take her back to Washington, dangle her under their noses and kill them. Do whatever the hell you want in your rest period. Though you'll be good to no one with a bum arm."

"Ha," I spat. "Stop fucking around with my head, Carlisle."

He sat forward to use his computer. Within a couple clicks of his mouse and a second of typed information the printer beside me went off and rolled out two white sheets. Carlisle inclined his head for me to pick them up.

"There ya go," he said. "Two tickets to Washington for tomorrow afternoon. Take her back to town and watch the evil doers come flocking in." He grinned at the end like this was the biggest joke he'd ever made.

"This is completely ridiculous. She's not safe there."

"If we keep her here any longer suspicion will grow when she just appears out of the blue. They know James is dead, they know she was with him and disappeared. Play the role of undercover bodyguard and get inside her intimate family circle."

As crazy as I knew Carlisle was, I still took those damn tickets with me on my way out. I couldn't keep her with me for the rest of her life and she wouldn't leave on her own. If I went with her and eased old life prior to her kidnapping, would Bella just go in and feel comfortable enough with it? She wasn't guaranteed safe until James's girl and associate were gone.

I contemplated the effects and scenarios before borrowing some luggage from the courtesy desk and making my way back to my room.

* * *

**A/N: Happy Reader Appreciation Day :)**

**Don't forget to review!  
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	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: For anyone who had a mixed week of good and bad, I feel you. Weekend updates are my favorite and I've been blissed out.**

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Upon arriving to my room, two massive pieces of luggage rolling behind me, I found that the scenario I'd expected was not in front of me. Part of me was relieved that my efforts to keep Bella locked up had worked, the other half was screaming to find her and make sure no harm had come in my absence. We'd scarcely been apart since she came to Carlisle's hotel. Even when the medic fixed my shoulder, spurts of blood shooting out as he tried to compress the wound, she stood—on shaky legs—close.

The bathroom door was damaged at the seam. It had dents where the chair pressed unrelentingly against it. I had assumed Bella could get through the barrier and would be waiting for me when I entered the room. She could have taken the flower pot and bashed me over the head, tripped me and knocked me out, squirted toothpaste in my eyes and beat me with the ironing board.

Pulling the bathroom door open I tentatively peeked inside. The powder I'd thrown at her streaked the mirror and floor from a few days ago. It had gotten damp and clung to every surface. Part of the mirror was gone, the very bottom corner.

On the floor, curled into a tiny ball that would have had my joints popping, Bella cried.

I threw open the door, hesitant to go near her in this state. Beside her head was the piece of mirror that had been broken off. I tiptoed around her to grab it, but she beat me to it.

"Why are you crying?" I asked. My tone was harsher than I'd meant it to be. Her close proximity to a weapon pushed my instincts to the forefront. "Bella, what's wrong?" I asked once more, calmer.

She said nothing. Her legs pulled tighter to her chest and she rested her head against her knees. I crouched down, one hand on the counter, the other on the floor to keep my balance. Some distant thought tried to argue that she wouldn't attack me when her fear of being alone was all consuming. I was the only one she knew here—the only one who would protect her.

In a movement so quick all I caught was her right hand extending outward, she threw the mirror piece to the wall. It shattered all around while the sound echoed inside the bathroom. I winced and placed a hand on her waist.

I could handle the violence thing. I was good with physical outbursts, was prone to some myself, but the… womanly thing, well, I couldn't do it. The crying only got louder as I grimaced and kept my distance.

"I spoke with Carlisle," I tried, dully. "Got two tickets to Washington."

She choked out a word, or maybe a sound, then cleared her throat. "Why two?"

Her face turned towards me and I shrugged. I sat cross legged beside her, shaking off my hand after I set it in some powder. Bella slowly unfurled herself and propped herself up on an elbow. I tried not to cringe as her tear streaked face came into view; red puffy eyes looked up at me warily.

Drawing in a deep breath, I spoke, "Maybe I'll come, too."

She didn't look as happy as I thought she would. "You locked me in a bathroom," she said, voice cracking.

I scratched the back of my neck. "Yeah, I guess I did."

"What if a murderer came and tried to kill me? I'd be dead on the ground and it would be your fault. You can't leave like that. I don't want… what happened before to happen again. I didn't like it."

"You can't expect me to shelter you for the rest of your life—"

"Yes I can!" she screamed. Her shriek cut me off and I put my hands up in defense. "I'm not doing it again. And definitely not with two more people. That extra ticket better be for you."

I pulled her up from the floor, ignoring her protests. She morphed into an appendage at my side as we strode from the bathroom to the bedroom. Eyeing the luggage she started to gather random articles of clothing from my dresser.

I sighed in irritation before helping Bella pack.

--

"This isn't a vacation," Carlisle sighed. "Get your ass where you're supposed to be and do your job. If you really don't want to do this then just kill her."

"You're so funny," I snapped.

The signal to my cell phone cut out for the millionth time in the last two hours. Bella didn't pay me any attention as she sang along to some song on the radio. Her hand was stuck through the window while scattered raindrops smacked her skin. She looked more at ease than I'd seen her in the short week since we'd met.

After the longest plane ride of my life, in which I was forced to the middle seat while Bella got the window and some kid spilled soda on my lap, we found the car Carlisle had gotten and went on our way. It was mildly better than the car I had while chasing James. It went up to ninety for a few minutes before the engine started to gurgle something awful.

Bella grabbed my phone from where I'd thrown it on the dash. She flipped it open and played with it for a few minutes before bringing it to her ear.

I snatched it from her, closing the phone and sticking it between my legs. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"I was calling my dad," she said angrily. "We're going to his house so I should at least call him and let him know."

I rolled up the windows and pulled my jacket tighter around my shoulders. _Fucking thirty degrees, raining and night, so she pulls down the window_. My foot tapped against the dead pedal and I pinned her with a glare when she made to grab my phone.

"That's not how it works, Princess. You were a hostage for how long? Do you think telling your police chief daddy that you're back and making a big fanfare about this is smart?"

"Yes."

"It's not. You'll tell him when we get there in an hour."

She pawed at my phone again. I moved my leg and she scratched my thigh.

"Give it to me, Edward!" she shouted and lunged across the center console. I pushed myself to the door and swerved the car so she did the same. "Ow! You're an ass!"

"You should have worn your seatbelt," I reasoned. "Sit back and relax."

"No!" She lunged again, this time with her whole body and I rolled onto the side of the road before we crashed. Her hand scrambled for my thighs and as she grabbed at the antenna before it fell to the floor. Instead of going for it she palmed my whole cock and squeezed tight.

I huddled over, gasping as she relentlessly tortured my balls. "What the fuck?" I wheezed.

"Gimme it," she murmured.

"Okay!" I screamed. "You can have it!"

She let go and slid her arm down. When she was at her elbow I pressed my legs together and stopped her. She threw her free hand forward and I grabbed it. She was bent awkwardly in her seat, teetering on the edge of almost falling to the floor and almost into my crotch.

"Just give me the phone," she sighed exasperatedly.

"You must be out of your fucking _ mind_ if you think I'd fork it over. You weren't a police officer or a bounty hunter so don't you think for one minute—"

She bent forward and put her mouth on my crotch.

She breathed into the denim until it burned, but God it felt good. I shamefully got hard really fast and used my free head to pry her head back. Bella looked up at me with hooded eyes and licked her lips.

"If you give me the phone I'll suck your cock."

I gulped. "Really?"

"No." She slammed her head down and I felt teeth biting into me before I released her and cupped my crotch from the horrible, awful pain that now radiated throughout my entire being.

Bella snickered as she grabbed my phone and pressed send twice. I tried to ignore the pain as I dove across the console, my seatbelt strangling me as I did so. She broke out into a fit of laughter even as the voice on the other end picked up the phone and started to question.

Unbuckling, I threw myself at her, pinning both wrists to the window. Her father was still speaking and I tried to throw out my most professional voice as my balls burned.

"Can I interest you in a new phone service?" I squeaked.

Bella broke out in new laughter. "You sound like me!"

I shut the phone with my chin and shook her hand until it fell to the floor. My foot smashed into it until I saw the battery fly out.

"I can still use a payphone," she said petulantly.

"Bella," I pleaded. "Please, just one more torturous hour and you can talk to your dad all you want."

"I'll be good if you abide by my rules." Her eyes narrowed when mine did. "You have to stay at my house, not a hotel."

I barked out in an unmanly laugh and pulled my legs together as pain shot up my spine. She released herself and crossed both arms over her chest. She looked so serious it only made me laugh harder.

"Y-your dad is chief of police. Do you know how stupid that request is?" I giggled.

"What? Are you wanted for something?" she asked.

I nodded my head as the laughter died down. "You witnessed why. I shot that bastard straight in the head."

"Yeah, but it was for self-defense."

"Doesn't matter. They take one look at my record and my ass is in jail."

She pursed her lips as I started up the car again. "What did you do?"

I shrugged. "A bit of this, a bit of that."

"What exactly was 'this' and 'that'?" She leaned forward and put her palms on my thigh."

"Seatbelt. And move your hands, my dick still hurts."

--

The car ride to Forks was pure hell. Bella had thankfully stopped grabbing my crotch and instead went for another tactic that involved belting songs until my ears bled. Half of them she didn't know, decidedly making up words and screaming the melody.

After an hour and a half we were inside the town. I instantly wished I was back in Arizona.

The whole place was green, green trees, green dirt, green buildings—hell, even the sky was green. The clouds were gathered together in case an emergency rain needed to fall at any second. People lounged around outside for early breakfast while completely ignoring the pitter pattering rain that fell against tin roofs. The whole place was gloomy; it would have been perfect for a horror movie setting.

"Left," Bella instructed as we reached a traffic light. "There will be a dirt road, go all the way down until you hit the pavement."

The dirt road she spoke of was actually a swamp. The dirt floated up in massive potholes filled with water. My car didn't make it too well and more than a couple times I had to back out and go around.

"How does one end up in Forks?" I asked.

"My dad's family has lived here for, like, centuries. Our house is only a couple decades old but it still creaks. It'll probably bother you the first night but you'll get used to it."

"I'm not staying with you, Bella."

"Uh, yes, you are, Edward. That was part of the deal if you remember. Otherwise give me your phone." She reached out trying to get my phone from the cup holder on the door. I knocked her hand away and picked up my speed.

"We're almost there. Can you relax for a few minutes?" I asked exasperatedly.

She stuck her tongue out and pointed her finger straight ahead. I caught a small house in the middle of a huge barren yard. The grass was yellow and the crocuses out front drooped dejectedly. The wood was painted a pale yellow, almost sickening to the eyes. The cop car stood in contrast to the small garage, shiny and new with crisp white and blue paint. I grimaced thinking about how I used to be on the other side of the spectrum, riding around inside and arresting kids who had one too many.

Bella was bouncing in her seat by the time I pulled up a few houses down. Despite the car in the driveway it appeared as if no one was inside the house. I held up my hand as she attempted to open her door, trying my best to convey through my eyes that she was on my last nerve.

Getting out of the car, I ran up to the dilapidated privacy fence and hopped up. A quick look around the yard showed no sign of activity and all the lights in the house were off, only the porch light casting dim shadows in the morning light.

As I hopped down Bella glued herself to my side.

"What the hell?" I barked.

She grabbed my arm and pulled me forward without any grace or caution. "Charlie goes out on weekends. He takes his friend's truck to go fishing and doesn't come home 'til Monday morning."

"It _is_ Monday morning," I said.

She nodded. "Yeah, so? We can get settled in and by the time he comes home breakfast will be ready." She jumped on the porch rail and dug around in the soupy gutter until a silver key was extracted. She grinned at it triumphantly. "What do you normally eat?"

"Energy bar and protein shake." She didn't have time to reply as the door clicked and opened slowly. Bella stared into the house as if someone would jump out.

It was a gloomy blue inside, most of the furniture was brown or dirty white. I could imagine a man like Charlie Swan living here. From what I'd read in the papers and heard from Bella, he was a quiet man who kept to himself and served to protect those around him.

"Ew." Bella wrinkled her nose. "You'll never have gross protein drinks in my house. How about the works instead? I hope my dad kept breakfast in stock. Sometimes Sue comes by to make him a meal…" she trailed off, toting me to the small kitchen.

Only when I was seated at the table did she detach herself and go through the fridge. My eyes searched the room, scanning walls and the floor, behind tables and chairs and while I knew no one would dare break into the chief of police's house, I couldn't help but feel uneasy. Here we were, back where Bella had been kidnapped the first time. I understood why she felt uncomfortable and scared; her nails still marked my skin.

A stack of newspapers to my right caught my attention as a brief flick of my eyes held onto Bella's name. A cut-out article lay in the center of a big stack, all with the same headline. _Police Chief's Daughter thought to be Alive._

I picked up the newspaper and skimmed the article. The stacks of newspapers were all regarding Bella and her disappearance. Sighting after sighting littered the pages and witness reviews all held the same tone of shock. The identifications didn't match up. One week he was out east, on a ferry in New York, next he was on the beach in California. James appeared to be a ghost man to the media and onlookers.

Bella banged pots and pans together as she pulled them out. A frying pan went flying and hit my foot with a hollow thud. She grinned sheepishly and turned back to the stove, pouring bisque in for pancakes. My stomach made a quiet rumble.

"When does your father work?" I asked offhandedly.

She pressed a wooden spoon to her bottom lip. "I think he works every day of the week. The only time I've ever seen him take a day off was when we both had the flu. We were up until three in the morning vomiting. I think if I hadn't begged him to stay he would have gone." She pursed her lips. "I think you'll like him."

I snorted. "Doesn't mean he'll like me. How do you think he'll react to seeing you here, and then me, Bella? The first thing I'd do if my daughter came home after months away—kidnapped—with a strange man is shoot him. I'd shoot and ask questions later."

She rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Don't be so dramatic. When I tell him you're the one who saved me from that creep he'll be in your debt and make you an honorary police man. You can get a little badge and cool hat. And then we can take a picture and send it to Carlisle the Grump."

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "I don't know what delusional land you're currently residing in, but that's _not_ how it works."

She flipped a pancake and ignored me.

--

"At what age did you know you wanted to be in law enforcement?" Bella asked.

I shifted in my seat on the couch and pulled another bite of hash browns in. She shifted along with me, her crossed legs always touching my thigh. "My mom got mugged when I was eight. I was there with her when the guy came. I think he would have sexually assaulted her if I didn't throw a brick at his head. He ended up just taking her purse and running."

Her eyes went wide. "Wow."

"Yeah, well, after that I started working out and became an officer. It didn't work out, but I had a goal for most of my life. That's more than most people can say." I set my plate on the table and drew my legs up to mimic Bella's crossed ones.

She turned and threw her left leg over my lap. Her eyes were bright and wide suddenly and she had a distant look settled into her features.

"Before this all happened I wanted to go to school for English. Not to be a teacher or anything, but for the love of reading and writing. I realized I'd probably end up as one of those crazy people living alone in the city with a bunch of animals. I don't like cats so they'd have to be, like, rats." She paused, looking up at me and cocking her head. "What deterred you from your path as a cop?"

I shifted uncomfortably. _You could always tell her the truth,_ I thought._ The police wouldn't let you assault perps and the money was too good to turn down._

"The police were… restrictive," I mumbled cryptically.

"How so?" she questioned. She used her leg to pull her body closer to mine. "Tell me all the dirty details and I'll tell you horror stories about the station my dad works at. You don't wanna miss out, Edward."

I rolled my eyes and tried to hold back my smile. "They didn't take bribery lightly."

"I would imagine." Her voice held no contempt, only simple observation.

"I didn't make all that much. Sometimes you need some luxuries. Who doesn't dream of making big money and living a life of relaxation and ease?"

"I couldn't tell you."

I looked down at her. Big doe eyes looked up at me and pursed lips contemplated my expression and words. The silence around us stretched on until it became almost painful not to hear what she was thinking. I hadn't told anyone about why I quit in a long time, I wondered if the definition of criminal had changed since I'd met Carlisle.

"I know what you're waiting for, Edward," she said. "And I can tell you right now that I won't judge you. I see all the crap that my dad goes through. If he wasn't so committed to his job I don't think he could do it. More than a few recruits have come to my door in the middle of the night to tell Charlie that they can't do it."

I snorted. "I doubt they take on corrupt law as their back up profession."

She leaned further into my side, soaking up my body heat and burrowing her head between my arm and chest until I had my arm wrapped around her shoulders. To anyone else it may have looked like a lover's embrace, but she was feeling uneasy and needed the physical contact. Strange how I'd come to know her so well in such a short amount of time, but I felt as though Bella and I were closer than I'd been with anyone in a long time.

"My dad's home," she muttered.

No sooner than she'd said it, the front door clicked open and the heavy sound of boots on carpet echoed through the living room. My heart began to race as I heard the masculine groan flutter through the room and then Bella's sigh as she wormed away and stood from the couch.

Bella stumbled as she ran to her father who sucked in a quick draw of breath. He cried out a little, just a quiet noise from the back of his throat. I fell back onto the couch and closed my eyes to just listen to the sound of reunion.

The rough collide of Bella into her father wrapped itself around my mind and the gentle sob from one of them constricted my brain.

I always did my job and left. Those who were part of a hostage situation went home thanks to the police and I never got involved. Once I had a target finished I left and let everyone else deal with the after affects. But it was… nice I guess.

"Bella," Charlie choked. "Oh… kid, I missed you."

My hands rubbed over my eyes like they had a mind of their own. "I'm okay, dad," she whispered.

"When—_how_?" A million questions flew off of Charlie's tongue, each interrupted by the following. It was a series until Bella managed to cut him off, the press of feet against the floor loud enough to jolt me into a sitting position.

The second I was up, Charlie was there, weepy eyes narrowing in a glare. His face held recognition through the onslaught of emotion.

Almost instantly Bella was thrown behind his back. The cop I'd expected to see was out and ready to fight. I sat on the edge of the couch and put my hands up, palms out. Bella tried to fight her way in front of her father but he was an unmoving boulder in her path.

"Chief Swan." I nodded.

"Who the hell are you?" he asked ruthlessly.

"He's a good guy!" Bella shouted, shoving him aside. She stood between the two us and placed her hands on her hips. "He got me away from James."

Charlie's eyes widened and he glanced from Bella to me several times before stopping on my nonthreatening form. I probably looked like a sight for sore eyes after a flight from hell and my busted shoulder, not to mention my sallow complexion from being exposed to the gloom.

Standing, I straightened up and stuck out my hand. Charlie didn't move for a long time, his eyes locked on my face and his arm holding back Bella. I understood where it all came from, that desperation to protect his daughter from the harm of the world and yet here was the man who had saved her. He was probably internally arguing between dragging my ass to jail and shaking my outstretched hand.

His hand met mind slowly until he gripped it with all the strength he possessed. Our eyes met and for a split second I saw gratitude there.

Bella was trapped between us, her shoulders pressed our chests. She slid out and glanced back and forth furiously. Charlie dropped my hand and moved closer to his daughter.

"When did you get here?" he asked thickly.

"A few hours ago," Bella answered. "I made you breakfast."

"Why—why didn't you call? You know I have all my messages at the station forwarded." He paused and his eyes went wide. "This morning?"

"Yeah. Edward wouldn't let me," she said, smirking.

I narrowed my eyes at her. _Little rat._

Charlie's fists clenched at his sides, his face betrayed no emotion. "I'm just glad you're safe, Bella." He turned to me. "Thank you… Edward. I'm sure you're busy and need to take your leave."

"Well," Bella muttered. "Not yet. He's gonna stay with us for a few days, dad."

"Bella—"

"_Please_," her voice cracked and she swallowed. "I don't want it to happen again."

At his daughter's pleading, Charlie Swan nodded and heaved a sigh. He turned to me. "Guest room. And it's locked from the outside."

_This should be fun_, I thought sarcastically.

Bella grinned.

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**A/N: There weren't too many questions for last chapter, so I must be doing something right.**

**I'm having a blast writing this. These chapters are usually written late at night when I'm too tired to think so I'm a roll. Even if they make no sense to anyone but me.**

**Don't forget to review!  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: As always, for BittenBee.  
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The guest room was what I'd imagine the inside of a mausoleum would look like. In other words, I could see myself dying here with all the animal heads staring at me.

The walls were yellow to match the outside of the house; the blankets were scratchy and gave my skin a rash. The bed had springs designed to kill your spine and paralyze you by morning. My pillowcase smelled like mothballs, but that covered up the stench of decayed wood in the closet. My clothes sat in a pile by the window since everything inside the room seemed soggy.

I flipped over for the millionth time and sighed heavily. I'd sat awake for five hours and my only company was the digital clock that flipped numbers every rotation. Charlie's snoring finally came through my wall and I felt some kind of relief. He had gotten up periodically to go to the bathroom and—no doubt—to check that his daughter was still in bed.

I was in the middle of a staring contest with a deer head when my door clicked and slowly creaked forward. I sat up in bed and came face-to-face with Bella. I slid a finger across my throat and pointed her ass back to the hallway. She rolled her eyes and continued to open the door.

"Out," I whispered on a hiss of air.

She shook her head and mouthed, "Can't sleep."

Once the door was closed with a sock between the frame and the lock she sprinted to my bed. I fought to keep her back, pushing her away from me. Bella grabbed my arms and opened her mouth as if she were about to scream. I relented and she dove under the covers.

"What the hell?" I snapped quietly.

"My dad finally fell asleep." She pulled the wool blankets over our heads and pressed a finger to her lips. "I'm really tired and I wanna sleep. Just for a couple hours?"

"No."

She sat up and glared at me. "You let me sleep in your bed before."

"Keep your voice down!" I stared at the wall and listened for a stutter in her father's snoring. "That was different. We were in a hotel where your _father_ wasn't down the hall waiting for an excuse to kill me."

She sat back down and threw her limbs over my body to keep me in place. "It's not like we're doing anything inappropriate. We'll just be sleeping. You think too much, Edward. Good night."

"No. There's no _good night_. Get your ass up and go back to your room."

She threw the blanket over her body and burrowed her head into my armpit. I wrestled with her in silence for a few minutes, locking my muscles so I wouldn't accidentally throw her to the floor. Little good that did, she wormed her way nearly underneath me before I realized how close to the edge of the bed I was.

"Go to sleep, Edward," she mumbled through the sheet.

I stood from the bed. "Fine. You sleep here and I'll go to your room. If I lock you out I can't get shot."

As I reached the door, Bella jolted from the bed and latched herself to my side, pulling me almost violently away from the door. The movement jerked my shoulder and I rammed into the door. Bella hissed my name as the animal heads rattled in anger, trying to attack us with each bang on my large body made in the confined space.

The sock in the door slid out and fell to the floor, unnoticed until the lock clicked.

"Fuck, fuck, _fuck_," I hissed. "Please tell me you have a key."

Bella shook her head, staring at the door. "Now you _have_ to sleep with me."

My lower lid twitched endlessly as I glared at the door. Breaking it down wouldn't help, my wallet was in my jeans in the bathroom so I couldn't pick it. I was essentially trapped in this room with Bella until her father woke up and found her room empty.

I pulled myself away from Bella as she crawled into bed and watched me from her seat. I grabbed a pocket knife from my suitcase and stuffed it into the pocket of my sleep pants. Bella's eyes questioned my intentions.

"I won't stab him unless he pulls out a gun. Though he has every right to," I explained.

She sighed. "You're being ridiculous."

"Shut up, Bella. Go to sleep."

She kissed my cheek and ducked away under the covers. I wiped off her kiss, making a disgusted noise while she laughed and laughed until she fell asleep.

--

I woke with a start when Bella's fist drove into my side. I coughed when the drool from my sleep caught in my throat but was quickly cut short by a masculine throat clear. My hand reached into my pocket to procure the knife I'd put in there, but it was gone. Bella slid the cool metal along my side and I jumped.

"What the hell's going on?" Charlie snapped.

When I spluttered to speak, my knife cut into my flesh. "Nothing, dad," Bella answered.

I managed to gather my wits about me and noticed my surroundings. In the daylight the animal heads were still not comforting. It could have been just after sunrise with the dim light coming in, or maybe mid afternoon.

Bella was sitting up next to me. Her hair was in wild tangles down her back and she rubbed at her eyes. Charlie stood authoritatively above the bed. I felt like a teenager getting caught by parents. Except I wasn't a teenager fooling around with some girl.

"Dad, I'm tired," Bella grumbled, rubbing her eyes.

"_Bella!_" Charlie snapped and crooked a finger for her to follow him.

I fingered my side and came up with traces of blood. What the fuck? I flipped onto my stomach and pulled the pillow over my head, trying to drown out the murmuring in the hallway.

"Why would you do something like that under my roof?"

"I couldn't sleep."

"That' no excuse!"

There were several moments of silence and I sighed. If Charlie forced her back into her room I would have been able to salvage a couple more hours of sleep. As quickly as the thought popped into my head, the sound of Bella's voice rang loud and clear.

"I was afraid it would happen again."

I was surprised to hear Charlie relent so easily. Even more so when the door to my room opened and his heavy footsteps clomped down the stairs. I jumped from the mattress when I felt a hand touch my shoulder blade.

"You're not really… worried that something will happen, right?" I mumbled into the mattress.

Bella tugged on the pillow over my head and set it down for us to share. I turned my head to find her staring at me, eyes wary and tired. She hadn't looked like a victim until that moment. She'd always been strong, unworried and uncaring about what happened in the past. I hadn't seen her without the poker face and I did my best not to stare.

"Well… yeah," she mumbled. "I stared at my window for hours last night expecting something to come through."

"Aw, Christ," I grumbled. "You could'a told me that before we wrestled and you trapped me in here." I picked at the dried blood on my side. "And the knife? What's wrong with you?"

She had the decency to look sheepish. "I didn't want you to start yelling and get me in trouble."

I shook my head and pressed my face back in the pillow. Bella curled up at my side and I drifted off.

--

Something about the house Charlie and Bella lived in made me feel uneasy at all times. My years of training and expertise in bounty hunting and law made me aware of my surrounding at all times, but as hard as I tried, I could find nothing out of the ordinary.

I searched every crack of the house for digital recorders, cameras and other things James could have left here—or his partners for that matter. I had set up cameras around the perimeter of the property and on the roof to scope out the neighborhood. Before Charlie feel asleep and Bella came into my room I would look through the tapes and fast forward through them until I caught any signs of movement. There were certain cars that passed by periodically but I quickly identified them as neighbors.

Even when I found no physical evidence of trespassing I couldn't help but think that James's associates were just waiting for Bella to turn up and make her public appearance. Or worse, wait to find her location and kill her before she became publically announced. With the information she'd gathered during her time with James I had no doubt she had an arsenal of weapons against the other two.

It was an early evening on Thursday when Carlisle called me. His name didn't register at first. I hadn't expected him to contact me on my sort-of-vacation. I picked up eagerly, needing a dose of reality to offset this family oriented week.

"Edward, no time for pleasantries," he said quickly. "Victoria. Her name's Victoria."

"No, her name's Isabella," I answered.

"Not her, you idiot," he snapped testily, "The woman she had mentioned to you. His associate is Laurent. Victoria and Laurent, I can tell you right now they're on your trail."

"_How_? I used a fake name everywhere I went and made sure to take main roads—they couldn't—"

"They had a bomb sent here," he murmured shakily.

I stopped speaking and tried to let what he'd just said really sink in. A bomb was sent to the hotel. With the intention of finding both Bella and myself there. My palms began to sweat and my mouth went dry.

"It was intercepted?"

"Yes. Thanks to men in the mailroom. This isn't the first time one's been sent, but the package was addressed to Bella."

I swallowed the lump in my throat and glanced back to the house. I leaned my elbows against the wood railing of the porch and dropped my head. Both Charlie and Bella were inside, they were safe. I could hear her laughing, feel Charlie's chuckle rumble against the old wood outside.

"When do you think they'll get here?" I croaked. He didn't answer. "_Carlisle."_

"They probably already are," he answered quietly.

I didn't have time to panic or reason with the irrational thoughts. I put together a plan inside my head and let the cop side of my brain work out all the details. I could see everything in my mind and straightened from the railing, walking to the car and throwing the trunk open.

"I've got cameras set up around the perimeter. The roof, car, street and block are secured."

"Inside the house, especially Bella's room."

"I should keep the windows sealed."

"What do you have with you that could be accessed at a moment's notice?"

"Knives. Pocket knives and hunting knives. They're not ideal for sealing away with the bulk." I walked around to the front of the car, driver's side, and slid the seat all the way back. Underneath I pulled out a flat briefcase. "I've got two pistols and some ammunition."

"Keep them on you at all times," he ordered. "I want her loaded down with at least pepper spray and some kind of acidic wash that can maim the skin. We need to keep them marked if at all possible."

"What are their previous offences?"

"None to speak of."

"So quick and fast then. No need to drag it out for the sake of a bounty."

"Wait for them to come to you. They can't be very patient if they committed crimes with James at fault only hours after he was spotted in a different location. I'd give it a few days before they make a move. They'll probably—"

"Camp close by," I breathed.

"Maybe hold a neighbor hostage to use their home. Be careful wherever you are. Don't for one second think to leave your guard down. You're my best man, Edward. I can't have you dying."

"So sweet," I joked. "I've got it under control, Carlisle. Her father's on the police force. If he hears of either one they'll be run out so fast they won't have the opportunity to strike."

Once I had hung up I broke through the pocket in my jeans and wrapped a holster around my thigh before sliding the gun into it. The tension I'd felt from before began to multiply as I glanced around the quiet area. They could have been inside a house—watching me right now. One of them could have been taking aim and had my head in their scope.

I turned and ran for the house, slamming the door shut in a hurry, locking it with the deadbolt. They were definitely onto us. They knew where I'd taken Bella and they were on our trail. They were probably more prepared than I was. Probably had a plan to find and kill.

"Edward?"

I didn't turn away from the door or open my eyes. I was beyond irritated. I wanted to bring her back, thought she'd be safe here for some reason when clearly she was in the same—if not more—danger than she was at the hotel.

I ran a hand over my face and took in a deep breath. She was kneeling on the couch, elbows perched on the back of it and eyebrows quirked up.

I swallowed thickly. "Yeah?"

"Everything okay? You look a little shook up." She straddled the arm of the couch and hopped off.

Charlie was no longer in the room, leaving the two of us in an unsafe place. I clenched my jaw. How do you tell someone that their childhood home is in danger of being destroyed and everything they know and love is at risk of being mutilated? I decided there was no easy way to put it, but that didn't have to be the case right this instant.

"Just… it's just Carlisle. Grates my nerves sometimes," I explained weakly.

She nodded affirmatively. "Remember when you told me he was just doing his job the first time I met him? Well, he's just worried about you." I raised an eyebrow. "You two seem pretty close. Like father and son."

I snorted. "Yeah."

"I'm serious!" She grabbed my arm and pulled me to take a seat beside her. I looked around the room for Charlie. He wasn't exactly happy about our near constant proximity."He either has some romantic affection for you or it's fatherly love."

I pressed the heels of my palms into my eyes until I felt pressure. "That's gross. He's married, you know."

That didn't seem to deter her. "What did he say? Did he tell you to be cautious? I know how much you hate being told what to do. But you know he's right, don't you?"

"I'm never careless," I answered indignantly.

She rolled her eyes and managed her way onto my lap. She straddled my thighs and sat on my knees. After the chill from outside it was nice. Big brown eyes peered up at me imploringly, asking me to give out more information than I was comfortable with. Her innocent disposition made me feel like an ass for keeping anything from her. I was irritated and guilty all at once.

One of her hands reached up to comb her fingers through my hair. "What did he _really_ say? I can take it. I'm not a little girl, Edward."

"You gotta promise me something," I bargained. She nodded quickly. "You can't tell your dad. You need to remain at my side at all times. You need to carry pepper spray and hydrochloric acid."

"Cool," she breathed.

"No, not cool. James's friends, they're on our trail." Her face fell and she went pale. "Victoria and Laurent. They sent a bomb to the hotel—but it was intercepted. I have to be aware at all times, but that means you do as well. If you see cars around here that you haven't noticed before or notice odd behavior from a neighbor, you tell me right away."

"I'm gonna be sick," she mumbled and pressed her forehead to my chest.

I rubbed her back awkwardly. _Please don't throw up on me._

"What do we do?" she whispered, sounding bleak.

"We sit and wait. They come to us and I'll handle it all. As soon as the two of them are taken care of you'll be okay. Everything will be safe again and you can go back to school."

The relief I expected to see on her face didn't pop up. If anything, she looked more distraught


End file.
